Carlos Alcaraz defended his Japan Open title on Tuesday, beating Jiri Lehecka 7-6(4), 6-4 in the Tokyo final. The Spaniard collected his first title since February, after a wrist injury kept him out for around four months, and the 27th of his career on the ATP Tour.
Tokyo, Japan: Seven and a half months is a long time to wait for a trophy when you are 23 and used to collecting them. Alcaraz did not have to wait any longer than that. On Tuesday he beat Lehecka in two tight sets, lifted the Japan Open for the second year running and finally had silverware to show for a comeback that has been slow, careful and at times uncertain.
The result extended his perfect record in Tokyo to 10-0. It also made him only the third man to win back-to-back titles at the tournament, after Stefan Edberg and Pete Sampras.
Holding firm in the tie-break
Lehecka arrived in the final in sharp form. The Czech had beaten eighth seed Valentin Vacherot 6-4, 6-2 in the semi-finals, hitting ten aces and facing no break points, and he carried that serving rhythm into the opening set against Alcaraz.
Alcaraz was the one who found the answer when it mattered. The first set went to a tie-break, and he took it 7-4 to move ahead. He then broke Lehecka’s serve in the second set and closed it out 6-4. By his own admission it was not his cleanest tennis. He said he did not find his best level, but that he found good solutions when the match tightened.
A path through a tough week
The title capped a week in which Alcaraz was tested more than the scoreline in the final suggests. He needed three sets to beat compatriot Jaume Munar in the semi-finals, recovering from a set down to win 5-7, 6-3, 6-1. His quarter-final had been shortened when Denis Shapovalov retired injured while trailing 7-6(3), 2-1.
Against Lehecka, he extended his head-to-head lead to 4-1. The Czech’s only win came in Doha in 2025.
The long road back
The wrist injury sidelined Alcaraz from Barcelona in April until the US Open in late August, and his return in New York was a first-round win over Roman Safiullin. Tokyo gave him the first trophy since. His last title before this came in Doha in February.
Afterwards he spoke about what the process had taken. He described it as a long and slow journey, with ups and downs, and said negative thoughts had crept in during his recovery that he had tried to push away each time. Lifting a trophy again, he said, felt extra special because of the injury.
Eyes on the big events
The win also hands Alcaraz momentum at the right moment in the calendar. He named Shanghai, Paris, the ATP Finals and the Davis Cup as events he wants to win. With a title restored to his season and a week of tight matches behind him, he goes into them with confidence rebuilt.
Score: Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) bt Jiri Lehecka (CZE) 7-6(4), 6-4 — Japan Open (ATP 500), Tokyo, final
Title: Alcaraz’s 27th career title and second successive Japan Open
